Hybrid View

COI in Denver

I went tonight and it was a great show, I was in the front row Made eye contact with my favorite skaters (OH Tanith!!! Shizuka!!! ), except Sasha, Johnny and MK And no Rene & John, or Kimmie :boohoo: Didn't expect to see Shen & Zhao anyway, but I guess I had hopes for a surprise.

I would like to know if anyone else saw the show tonight?

I will comment more tomorrow, and I only took lousy notes for the first half - just so distracting (missed one of Victors jumps). I am sorry I was not in a more sharing mood, like taking pics and all that, but I would not have used the camera but maybe 2 times all night. I wanted to see them with my own eyes - and I am glad I did - watching Plusy's blades, Marina Gwendal's scarf interaction and her lifting him, listening to Max's skates as he held Tatiana turning (held my breath still) ....just everything was so wonderful, not perfect but wonderful. Even though Sasha fell on her butt durring an edge change and started backing. And MK caught a toe in the finalle as she stated out of the center, cute look on her face when she did it. And Mk did jump but, a not so high eagle. Anyway I will comment more tomorrow, or tonight if I stay up as usual.

SeaniBu, eagerly awaiting further details on these cryptic hints. Fell on an edge change? Backing??

Sorry, I was not sure if that was called a Mohawk. But she went in forward corner hard on the inside edges and changed to outside foot turning her halfway through, and then came to a stop, posed and then fell backwards as she stepped backwards, witch looked like it was going to be the right rear outside edge, it caught and she fell. To be perfectly honest I think I was looking more at her hands and how nice her hair is.

Sorry I haven't gotten the rest of this out, and I am working on it. Had a couple of crappie things go on with my friends Baby. His wife was in induced labor proceedings for a day and a half and then the baby had respiratory problems, all is getting better now though. They are on their way home today and should be there shortly, bringing their sweet (and man that baby has been through a lot and been wonderful about it) Teagen Brooke to her new home. My Dad separated his shoulder so I have also been doing concrete today. This on top of my nephews baby shower this weekend.

Anyway I am trying to decipher and type my notes out as well, recall much from just watching the second half, It is hard to see anything but Tanith's beautiful eyes when I start thinking about it J/K - sorta

To tell you the truth, it is almost exactly what DEE had in her review except falls and maybe order??? - Plushy cheated a quad.....eesh ( a few around me were commenting that it was cool he tried), I can't remember loop or lutz....acutely I don't think I could tell from where I was on the other side but it most likely would have been down graded to a 3loop (I think from what Joe, Gkelly, MM......well everyone smarter than me, was saying a little while back) but landed forward and then turned....anyhoo, more latter! - see what I mean about needing to edit my notes and brain? LOL

And I had to come back because I forgot to edit this before I posted it. More LOL, and a smack tot the head.

There were No logos or Lines on the Ice I was so happy! The Sound at Pepsi Center (the Can) was acutely pretty good but the volume was to loud. Particularly the announcers voice. Scared the heck out of the older couple behind me. They didn't have the Ice as clean (gouge free on all levels - i.e. under top layer) as expected, it was the first and only "Ice show" or Hockey I knew of being there in a while and I just thought it would be totally fresh.

Hit the Ice Lysacek, Surya, Rudy, Maria and Gwendal, Johnny, Dan, Plushenko, Sasha, Tatiana & Max, Stephane Irina, Ben & Tanith, Shizuka, Michelle. That is what I could decipher from my crappie notes...well It will all be that way , and I can't remember if Irina G, Vladimir or Oleksiy were in the announcing portion. I lot of Charlottes and a a few did jumps (doubles - I think Sasha singled a toe?) and everyone did spins. Ira and Sasha had a very close pass while Ira was spinning and Sasha was in a spiral. Plushy skated right up to in front of me, did the Plushy arm thing and then turned. And they did the along the boads thing with arms up, dimmed the house lights and then they started with - Everyone skated in front of me as the took the spot light. Tanith and ben stopped in front of me before going out for their solo.

Rudy and the disco chair (why they couldn't have had that nice of chair for Fumie's Carmen? ) He threw his Fur jacket into the audience, did a handstand in the chair and I noticed a lot of make up on his face. He reminded me of Freddie Mercury. Good Jumps but 2 of them he touched Ice.

Surya B did a Cha Cha Number, I believe she did a 3l, her back flip was high and held her hands in, and a back summersault, believe a 2t was a really clean one and her Charlotte was not so great - in comparison only.

Dan did the Olympic spin where the announcer (I think it was Don Duguid) was talking as though Dan could hear him, Very funny and almost spooky how he whacked the Russian with a mop to "eliminate the competition." - very Nancy Tonya flashback for me. 3t x 2t x 2l was awesome, I felt like standing even thought the edge was way out from under him and had to catch on the first 3, but the recovery and stuck out the other 2. cool! Oh, he had a sweet back flip too, smooth landing and kept surprising speed. And had a double time footwork potion that was easily as good as Plushy's this night anyway.

Johnny did My way, and I think I would love to party with this guy. He seems like such a cool and passionate person. Almost as though he loved every move, every motion. He was definitely out there for him or more focused then any other skater I saw that night - however you decide to interpret it. He was a drama Queen as he needed to be to make the song and choreography work perfect. In the top 3 performances as far as competition quality. Only Triples, but other than that it was one of the cleanest...well there was a one hand touch that almost looked like he wouldn't have needed it as I can remember.

Tanith and Ben were next and this is where the notes start getting slim. I have never thought that someone (particularly to me being a dark hair dark eyes kinda guy) could find someone more beautiful then the "glamor shots" and where I already thought she was beautiful could be surpassed when seeing live. I would "roughly" say she is not photogenic, because she is twice as beautiful in person. She might very well have one of the most beautiful faces in this world. I heard someone say a while back she had "Classical Beauty," well there is a reason that is "classic." It will always be held as a best IMO! As far as their routine, It was "flawless except they lost some speed and I wanted a twizel! Yah BooHoo Seanibu. It looked very similar to the last in the Olys / Wds but more holds and she was in those "posses" longer. But again the speed was not consistent or really "up to speed" for all but the fist 30 seconds.

Evan Is a stud, I give him the "coolest skater" in my book. He also pointed right at me, and only wobbled and touched on one jump durring the solo. His spins were a rivalry for Ruhs (4.5 spins per second at least IMO) centering and charm out the wazoo. Made me think about my sexuality for a second J/K - but you see what I mean. He has that "RockStar" that Evgini has but also has the boy next door charm...I mean Buddy next door. I really like this guy. 3 and 2s and a axle pop if I am not mistaken, but a great personality conveyance that was the main goal of the show. I wished I was the one he set his boom box in front of. Tee Hee heee. Oh yah he did a moon walk move, it was very well done with no cheese other than the move it's self.

Marina and Gwendal, were awesome!!!!!. The way they used the scarf between them and her doing a side lift of him likely longer than any of the lifts he did with her. Anyone else think he has a Robert plant look? She had one of the best dresses of the night, I am sure I have seen the style before but it was wonderful to see on the ice - and yep she is prettier in person too! Her lift of him was one of the biggest applause of the night. Their feet were so tight together and so well in time with the music. I felt lucky to watch. I think he wobbled on something, maybe he touched ice...can't remember. But I think that her performance was flawless for a "show," and that one thing of Gwendel's was the only flaw. Maria also had the scarf wrap around her eyes for a second and her hair stayed over her eyes for quite a while but it did not seem to phase her at all. Gave it one shake of the head, the hair stayed and she skated on.

Petrenko had the best choriografy of the night - kinda made me miss Oksana??. His rutine was spectacular minus the quads. Showed me how a Bunny hop shoulod be done, literaly right infront of me 31/2 feet at least (well it seemed) and he looked at the crowed His Charlotte was perfect straight but his spin at the end went a little out and slowed for an early finish to the music.

That is it for the first half.
BTW I really hate that Zamboni song, play it at Hockey games and that is enough for me.

Denver COI

Thanks for the review. Sounds like you had a good time. Did Michelle fall when she caught her toepick? Also I wasn't sure what you meant when you said Michelle jumped but did an eagle. Could you explain the jump a little? Thanks a lot.

Plushy is so fast and powerful - it really comes through seeing him in person rather than on TV.

Thanks for the terminology, "Flying Leaf" I am still learning how many different names there are for things that I would have always thought might have the same name. I felt like the "Russian eagle" was just a different name for the splits jump - like Free Skate and LP.

So how do I define what a Russian Eagle is, or is that one of those terms people used as their own term and I have confused it with an official term?

I should almost start putting the disclaimer at the beginning of my posts -"Still learning terms, feel free to correct me. It will also be appreciated."

Thanks again, and I have seen the real "Classic split" from MK, MM just put out a great pic a week or so back. I think that her and Sasha were the best at those, but I am not for sure if they were even the same thing now. ???

BTW, I can't remember if I thought this question or acutely asked it, but when did Sasha do her last "spin into spinning splits to stop in the splits position on the ice?"

has animations of a whole gang of skating moves. It's in Russian, but you could try babblefish and see if you can figure out the official names. Here's Michael Weiss illustrating the moon walk, for instance.

Thanks for the terminology, "Flying Leaf" I am still learning how many different names there are for things that I would have always thought might have the same name. I felt like the "Russian eagle" was just a different name for the splits jump - like Free Skate and LP.

So how do I define what a Russian Eagle is, or is that one of those terms people used as their own term and I have confused it with an official term?

I should almost start putting the disclaimer at the beginning of my posts -"Still learning terms, feel free to correct me. It will also be appreciated."

Thanks again, and I have seen the real "Classic split" from MK, MM just put out a great pic a week or so back. I think that her and Sasha were the best at those, but I am not for sure if they were even the same thing now. ???

BTW, I can't remember if I thought this question or acutely asked it, but when did Sasha do her last "spin into spinning splits to stop in the splits position on the ice?"

Seanibu - It is a Falling (Leaf) not a Flying (Leaf).

There is a big difference between the 'classic' and 'russian' splits. While Sasha tends to do the Russian split, I am sure she could also do the Classic split.

The Classic is more difficult because the center of gravity is directly on the ice (or floor in dance) while the Russian which thrusts out the fanny, has the center of gravity a bit askew. Male skaters tend to do the russian split. It's a crowd pleaser. They get high and are able to look directly at the audience. It sells!